We received an update about our referral, but it was not exactly the update we were hoping for. The officials in Nigeria did confirm that they have a referral for us, but they expect that the dossier (paperwork) for the child will not be available for about eight weeks. We are taking this timeframe with a grain of salt, as we know things can and do change, but we were hoping for the paperwork sooner than this. Once we get the dossier and accept the referral, we can travel to begin the bonding process.

We do have a few prayer requests:

• Pray for patience and joy as we wait. We know that the Lord is sovereign over this timeline, yet waiting is hard.
• In mid February Nigeria is having national elections, and in early March Lagos State is having local elections. Please pray for a smooth, peaceful election process and for the outcomes to be favorable with regard to adoption. If there are changes as a result of the elections, please pray that the impact and downtime is minimal, particularly for the families already in Nigeria.
• Finally, pray for the families that are in Nigeria right now in various stages of the process. Because of the U.S. government shutdown, some of the consulate and embassy employees are not being paid, and this is likely slowing down the process. Pray for a quick end to this shutdown and for these families to be able to come home.

Thank you all for all your prayers and support – we could not do it without you all.

Markus & Sarah